Over the last month, our community has been engaged regarding the Virginia Beach City Public Schools 2021–2022 calendar with the first day of school falling on the first day of Rosh Hashanah.
At the February 25, 2020 Virginia Beach City Public Schools School Board meeting, Chairwoman Carolyn Rye made a motion to suspend the use of the 2021–2022 finalized calendar until further notice. The motion included instruction for the calendar workgroup to reconvene, to review the issue further, and to bring a recommendation to the School Board in the next several months. The motion passed unanimously.
On February 26, 2020, at the invitation of Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence, the Board of Rabbis and Cantors of Hampton Roads, along with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Community Relations Council’s professional and lay leaders, met to discuss next steps. Spence informed the group that he will convene an Interfaith Advisory Council to advise and support him and the school board on the calendar and other faith issues as they arise in the public school setting. Spence and Rye stated their commitment to resolve this issue to the best of their ability in consultation with legal and applicable national entities. This counsel will be passed onto the calendar workgroup.
Spence’s intent is for the Interfaith Advisory Council, including members of the Board of Rabbis and Cantors of Hampton Roads, to be in place ready to advise the Superintendent after receiving the calendar workgroup recommendation.
Thank you to the many Jewish community members for your active civic engagement and grassroots efforts. The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Community Relations Council will continue actively communicating with the Superintendent’s office and school board members—giving the issue the serious time and attention it deserves.